Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Mutant
by vine
Summary: Penny RonwlePotter, a mutant from America, just found out she has a living relative. A cousin, by the name of Harry Potter. Who happens to need a place to stay for the summer. But how will he deal with a new kind of magic? First chapter rewritten.
1. In which a letter arrives

CHAPTER 1

This is the rewrite. Anybody still reading this- thank you. This is to all of the people who bothered to review a story that hadn't been updated in over 4 years.

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The summer after his eventful fifth year, The Order of the Phoenix decided that it would be safest if Harry Potter and his two best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, disappeared for a while. And staying at Headquarters was not an option. No matter how much they protested, they were still too young to be official members. They were a liability. A target.

"Luna and Neville don't have to hide," Ron complained. "Even Ginny gets to stay home."

Hermione just gave him a look. "I don't want to explain it again, Ron. Stop whining."

They were waiting for Dumbledore in the dining room at 13 Grimwall Place, and had been for the last twenty minutes.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but closed it abruptly, as the sound of the door opening reached their ears.

They shuffled as Dumbledore came through the door. He swept by them, then sat in the chair at the end of the table. With a motion from him, they followed suit.

The Headmaster wasted no time in pleasantries. He pulled a folded piece of parchment from the recesses of his cloak, then regarded the three teenagers in front of him over his halfmoon specticals.

"Harry, what do you know of your father's family?"

The trio shared a confused look at the abrupt beginning to this meeting.

"Not much." Harry squirmed under Dumbledore's gaze. "Only," he paused, and a look of pain flashed across his face. "Only what Sirius told me."

There was an awkward silence then, one that hung in the air much too long for anyone's taste.

Finally, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Well, I have finally succeeded in tracking down your late uncle's daughter. Your cousin, on your father's side. She would be just thirteen, now."

Harry's breath caught in his throat, as Hermione's eyes went wide, and Ron's jaws dropped. They had always assumed that the Dursley's were Harry's last living realatives.

Dumbledore continued without paying any notice to the reactions of his audience.

"She disappeared with her parents -her father was your father's younger brother, Harry- right after she was born. When we discovered their murders, it was thought that she had died as well. But a few months ago Kingsley found some old adoption papers filled out for a 'Penny Ronwle,' which was her mother's maiden name."

He sighed, and for a moment, all of his years seem to show on his face at once. "We should have found her years ago. I can't even guess as to how it slipped by us. But it doesn't matter now. I have traced her to a Muggle boarding school. And I think it might be the best place to spend the summer."

Silence.

In a timid voice, Hermione broke it. "Where is this boarding school, Professor? A Muggle school doesn't sound like the safest place for us to hide."

"Especially during the summer." Ron chimed in.

Harry said nothing. He was staring at his intertwined fingers, remembering all of the years he had spent at the Dursley's. How he had hated it. How they had treated him. How he hadn't even known about his family and magical heritage.

This girl- his cousin- had gone through the same thing. Was still going through it. He didn't care what his friends said. He would go find her. And in the fall, she could come back to Hogwarts with them.

"This Muggle school appears to run right through the summer." Dumbledore fielded the other two's questions patiently. "And I am sure that I could convince the Headmaster to let the three of you stay. I would never send you to a place I did not think safe, Miss Granger. This school is located in New York, and is far out of the area that Voldemort would ever think to look for you."

"New York?" Ron's surprise was loud enough to wake Mrs. Black's portrait outside, but none of them moved, even after she had begun to scream.

"MUDBLOODS! BLOOD TRAITORS! FILTH OF YOUR FORFATHERS!"

Harry's head shot up, and his eyes met the Professor's.

Hermione bit her lip. "As in New York, New York?"

Dumbledore nodded.

It didn't do anything to change Harry's mind, though. He was already decided. "When do we leave?"

The next day, at a certain school for gifted youngsters, Weschester, New York.

Penny was frozen at the door to her room, staring in confusion at the uninvited visitor on her bed.

She didn't think she had ever seen an owl this close before. Weren't they supposed to be nocturnal?

Yet here was one, casually preening itself as if her bed was its usual perch.

"Something wrong, Pain?"

She didn't even turn at the sound of her nickname, instead listening as her roommate approached her from behind.

There was a gasp from over her shoulder.

"What the hell?" Jubilee peered over Pain's shoulder. "Who put an owl there?"

"Don't look at me." Bobby had followed Jubilee in, and Pain knew, withough turning around, that Rogue was probably with him, too.

Pain took a step forward, only to have Jubilee grab her by the wrist and drag her back.

"Wait, Pain! What if it has rabies?"

Another body squeezed in the doorway behind Pain. "It doesn't look sick," the new arrival pointed out.

Pain shook her roomate's hand off. "See? It doesn't look sick. Even Kitty thinks so."

Pain used the moment where Jubilee turned to scowl at the girl who had currently phased herself through the mall rat's midsection to take a few steps closer, and notice that there was a piece of what looked like something akin to paper tied to the owl's leg.

Slowly, watching the owl for any sudden movements, she reached out and grabbed the twine tying the two things together, sliding it off of the rolled paper before attempting to untangle it from the owl's leg.

She got nipped at for her troubles, and retreated with the odd package in hand.

"What is that?" Jubilee was practically falling over, she was leaning so far over Penny's shoulder. At the same time, she was trying to keep one eye on the owl, who now appeared to be watching them as well.

Penny flipped the envelope over, and stared at the address on the other side. It was written in luminescent green ink, and stated that this letter was for Penny Ronwle, The Bed on the Right, Room 26, Girls Dorm, 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York.

"They know which bed is yours?" Jubilee made a gagging noise. "That's messed."

"Wait, what?" Kitty's hand turned tangible again, and she grabbed the parchment from Penny's hand. Jubilee made a face as the ghost of a girl pulled it through her stomach.

"It's probably from a stalker."

"Or a secret admirer!"

"What if it's from the Brotherhood, or something?"

"Who in the Brotherhood uses green ink? And owls?"

Watching the letter pass through everyone's hands more than once, Pain finally just sighed and stuck out her hand. "Can I have that back, please?"

Kitty handed it to her with a sheepish smile. "You going to open it right away?"

Turning the letter over in her hands, Pain let her finger slip under the envelope's folds. Instead of giving her friend an answer, she tore through the strange paper, and began to scan the letter than would turn her world on end.


	2. In which a meeting takes place

"This was a bad idea."

"You've mentioned that already."

"I know. I just want to reinforce the fact that I think this is a very, very bad idea."

Pain stood behind her two arguing friends, shivering in the chill air of the forest. Secretly, she agreed with Kitty.

"We should have brought Rogue," she whispered, and at once the two girls fell silent, turning to look at the younger girl.

"We couldn't bring Rogue," Jubilee reminded her, needlessly. "She didn't want us to even go, remember?"

"Anyway," Kitty's eyes were already facing front again. Ever attentive Kitty. "Between my phasing and Jubilee's sparkles-"

"Fireworks!" Jubilee corrected indignantly.

"-we'll be fine, even if they are only saying this stuff so they can throw you into some dark cell."

"I almost hope it is a trick." Unlike her last comment, this was to herself. If either of the others heard it, they kept it to themselves.

Jubilee checked her watch. "Well, it's five past eleven. I say we wait another five minutes, then call it a-"

Four people appeared out of thin air in front of them. Even for three students who experienced demon-like creatures appearing and disappearing in front of them on a daily basis, the atmosphere of the creepy forest and the arrival without warning made them jump.

But they were X-Men in training, and reacted as such. As Jubilee slipped into a balanced stance, Kitty grabbed her friend's wrists, readying to phase. Even Pain sucked in a deep breath, preparing herself as well as she could.

At first glance, none of the newcomers looked at all dangerous. But that meant nothing. Neither did they.

Three of them were young. Their arrival seemed a bit rocky, as they stumbled and almost fell. One of them, a boy with the brightest red hair Pain had ever seen, was only saved from a meeting with the ground by the girl's quick hand.

The fourth person had no trouble remaining upright. He was tall, clothed in flowing black robes that would have appeared out of place on anyone but him. He was old, too.

His eyes met Pain's, and a lazy quiver rolled throughout her body. Old could not possibly sum this man up. He felt ancient. Her bones ached just from looking at him.

The three teenagers had steadied themselves. There was a short muttered conversation, and they turned to face the waiting trio.

Pain thought that maybe she would know. Somehow, something would click in her mind, and she would know. But all three faces looked out of place and alien to her.

The man stepped forward, a wise smile on his lips. Kitty was suddenly grateful for the mind shields that the Professor had made all of them master. There was something in that smile that made her worry about the safety of her own thoughts.

"I'm Professor Albus Dumbledore." He looked at each of them in turn. "Which one of you is Penny Ronwle-Potter?"

Pain shifted. Hearing her name fall out of a stranger's lip made her feel uncomfortable. Lifting her chin, she took another deep breath and attempted a small smile.

"Me, sir."

Her voice sounded strange to her, faced with the man's thick accent. When had her own accent faded? It was weak and pale, compared to his. Almost embarrassing.

But he didn't mention it, just smiled at her, his eyes twinkling over his half-moon spectacles. "You look like your mother."

Such a simple sentence, but suddenly Pain found it hard to breathe. Her head began to spin, and Kitty's hand tightened around her wrist.

"And how did you know her mother?" Jubilee asked, her voice not betraying any of the uneasiness that she felt. Not for the first time today, Pain thanked whatever it was that had made her give in to her friends when they had begged to come with her.

Professor Dumbledore shifted his gaze to Jubilee, his smile not shifting. "She was a student of mine. As was her father."

Kitty had turned to Pain, worry obvious on her features. The girl was looking paler than usual, and her eyes were stretched wider than Kitty would have thought possible. But she was supporting her own weight again, and her mouth was moving.

"Which one of you is my cousin?"

The black haired boy stepped forward, his green eyes wide behind a pair of glasses.

Pain searched desperately for something to prove their story true, but there was nothing familiar waiting in his features. In fact, the only thing that they appeared to have in common was their black hair. But his was practically feral compared to her dead straight tresses.

"Hello," he said simply. He looked awkward, uncomfortable, and there was their common ground. She felt as if she were bathed in a spotlight. She had never liked being the center of attention.

"Hi."

There was a moment of silence as they stared at each other, both disbelieving, but for different reasons. It was only when Jubilee nudged her shoulder that Pain remembered her manners.

"Um, these are my friends. Jubilee," the girl gave a flutter of her fingers in a wave "and Kitty." Kitty smiled, and released her grip on Pain's arm.

Harry gave a jerky nod of his head. "Nice to meet you. This is Ron" the redhead attempted a smile that looked as shaky as Pain felt. "And Hermione."

Hermione was looking in interest at the X symbol on Kitty's sweatshirt. "You ll go to the same school, then?"

"Yep." Jubilee was doing the talking again, to the relief of Pain. "In fact, we should probably head back there soon. We're not really supposed to be out."

Pain did the only thing she could do. Her eyes were still fixed on the boy that was Harry Potter. He hadn't looked away either. "You are welcome to come back with us, of course. It would be more comfortable then this forest."

The two others glanced at their professor. Harry didn't flinch.

"That sounds wonderful. I'm sure that Ms. Ronwle-Potter has lots of questions," if he noticed her blink rapidly at the sound of her name, he didn't waiver. "and I have something to discuss with your Headmaster."

It was almost scary, how relieved Pain was to hear that they would come to the mansion, even if they did keep calling her by her real name. Even if they did end up to be nothing more than some new threat. She didn't find herself caring.

As they began the walk back, however, and the three children were talking to each other, Kitty raised an eyebrow at Pain.

"This wasn't part of the plan."

"We didn't have a plan, remember?" Pain has to resist turning her head to make sure they were still right behind them.

"Good point."

Jubilee snorted, then got serious again. "Do you think they are- you know?"

"Well, one of them can teleport."

"You really think they teleported from England?"

"We don't know if they're from England. They could be faking."

"Those accents sound real to me." Pain interrupted. "And I would know."

There was a moment of silence. Then Kitty sighed. "One of them must be a ridiculously strong teleporter, then."

"And why hasn't Cerebro picked them up?"

Jubilee's last comment dropped into a lull in the forgieners' conversation, and there was a tense pause. Then Harry asked his friend a question about something called a Portkey, and the moment passed.

"You think the word Cerebro would get more of a raise out of a possible mutant," Jubilee whispered.

Pain didn't have anything to say at this. Her mind had drifted, playing with the problem that walked behind them, trying to unravel it like she did with a paperback mystery's plot. But no obvious solutions came to mind. No easy answers.

The Professor would know what to do, was the thought she kept coming back to.

If she had turned around, like she so desperately wanted to, she would have seen the knowing twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. But she didn't turn.

* * *

So, this chapter deviated totally from the original chapter two, but I think it turned out a lot better. Please, if there's anything that struck you as off, don't hesitate to call me on it. I'll admit, I am a little worried about the Harry Potter characters, especially Dumbledore. I find him quite difficult to portray.

And now I have a question. At first, I was going to keep this a general fic, with no pairings. But I just love cross-fandom couples, and am tempted to change that. What do you think? Any interesting pairings come to mind? (Note: the pairings could involve other students from Hogwarts. I doubt 'The Golden Trio' will be the only wizards at Xavier's for long)


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